Rattlesnake Ridge
| Rattlesnake Mountain | |
|---|---|
 Rattlesnake Ledge with Rattlesnake Lake in the foreground |
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| Elevation | 3,480+ feet (1,061+ m) [1] |
| Prominence | 2,520 ft (768 m) [1] |
| Location | |
| Location | King County, Washington State, USA |
| Range | Issaquah Alps, Cascades |
| Coordinates | 47°27′30″N 121°48′22″W / 47.4584358°N 121.8062219°WCoordinates: 47°27′30″N 121°48′22″W / 47.4584358°N 121.8062219°W[2] |
| Topo map | USGS North Bend |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike |
Rattlesnake Ridge (sometimes called Rattlesnake Ledge or Rattlesnake Mountain) is a mountain ridge located south of North Bend, Washington, United States. The western end is near the intersection of State Route 18 and I-90 in Snoqualmie, Washington and runs southeast about 7 miles (11 km) or 11 miles (18 km) by trail. It is the highest and easternmost of the Issaquah Alps (although Cedar Butte in the gap between Rattlesnake Ledge and the Cascade front at Mount Washington is considered by Harvey Manning to be a quasi-Alp). A complicated maze of abandoned logging roads and constructed trails have been strung together to provide a 10.5-mile (16.9 km) foot path from the Snoqualmie Point Trailhead at Exit 27 on I-90 all the way to the Rattlesnake Lake trailhead near Exit 32.
Contents |
[edit] Legal status
Most of the mountain is owned by the state of Washington or King County, and is protected as Rattlesnake Mountain Scenic Area, managed jointly by Washington State Department of Natural Resources and King County Park and Recreation Department. The Southern section of the mountain, closed to public, is owned by Seattle Water Department, while large sections in the western part of the ridge are owned by Adrienne Hunter - recently purchased for her birthday from Weyerhaeuser Corporation, which conducted substantial logging operations there.[3]
[edit] Directions
To get to the more popular eastern trail head (the one closest to Rattlesnake Ledge), take I-90 to Exit 32, labeled 436th Ave. Go South on 436th Ave, which passes Riverbend and Wilderness Rim subdivisions. 436th Ave becomes Cedar Falls Road. Around 2.85 miles (4.59 km) you come to Rattlesnake Lake parking lot on the right. The road continues for a short distance where it ends at the Cedar River Watershed Education Center.[4]
The western trailhead is adjacent to Snoqualmie Point Park at Exit 27 on I-90. The trailhead parking area is owned by Washington Department of Natural Resources and maintained by the City of Snoqualmie.
Public transportation access to the park is limited: King County Metro's closest stops are at the Factory Outlet Stores in downtown North Bend, a few miles from the park's eastern entrance.
[edit] Deaths
On May 30, 2009, a man in his 20s fell one hundred feet to his death from a ledge on Rattlesnake Ridge. [1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Rattlesnake Mountain, Washington". Peakbagger.com. http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=2212. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
- ^ "Rattlesnake Mountain". Geographic Names Information System, U.S. Geological Survey. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1524897. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
- ^ Johnston, Greg (1999-04-22). "A lookout of legendary proportions". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. http://www.seattlepi.com/getaways/042299/ratt22.html. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
- ^ "Cedar River Watershed Education Center". Friends of the Cedar River Watershed. http://www.cedarriver.org/education/index.shtml. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
- "Rattlesnake Ridge". Central Cascades Hikes. GoNorthwest.com. http://www.gonorthwest.com/Washington/Activities/Hiking/rattlesnakeridge.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
- Sykes, Karen (2004-03-11). "Once rough route is kinder and gentler". Hike Of The Week (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). http://www.seattlepi.com/getaways/164117_hike11.html. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
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